Renegade
by Reality Slap
Summary: He was all alone. How long has he been in there? It doesn't matter, that's what he deserved. Time means nothing to him anyway. AkaKuro. AU
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **Hello, Themis here!(yeah that's my name!) Ok, so this was never supposed to be published, but my cousin made me do it. Thanks Catherine.. Anyways, I've never published a story online before so please be patient with me! This is just a short prologue by the way, I swear Chapter 1 is going to be so much longer! Reviews and any kind of helpful criticism are always welcomed and much appreciated!

**I do not own Kuroko No Basuke !**

* * *

Okay, this was really weird. Why could he hear this annoying noise? Nothing was supposed to be heard in this damned place he was trapped in. He was cursed to be alone after all.. Ah. He is imagining things again.

Really, what was this thing he was hearing anyway? Footsteps? Maybe. They were kind of distant, but as time went by they became more and more clear.

_Dammit, am I going crazy? No, no, no, no… How long have I been in here? Has it been hours,days, maybe years? Who knows? I can't really tell.._

**_BAM_**

What was that just now? There definitely was a huge bang just now! No was there_? Impossible._ Baby blue orbs snapped open. Panic made its way through his body. _This can't be happening! I'm supposed to be here alone! Until the end of time. How did-..!_

**_BAM_**

This time the noise was much louder than before. How the heck did they get past the barrier anyway? Has his staying there weakened him so much? How pitiful he was.. It didn't matter anyway. He had to warn them, whoever they were. They had to leave immediately. They were in danger. But what if the intruders were actually hostile against him? No. The best choice was to remain silent and just wait for someone to find him. He had to admit after all, he was pretty excited and curious to find out the identity of these courageous, but possibly foolish beings that dared to step inside his prison.

**_BAM_**

Oh. That was loud. Great. Another headache

**_BAM_**

Can't they keep it a liitle bit down? Really, no manners at all.

**_BAM_**

The door opened with a loud bang revealing a mysterious dark silhouette. Kuroko couldn't help but stare at it. How long has it been since he saw an actual person without hallucinating? Wait. Was that even a person? Yes, without a doubt the person in front of him was a man, with fiery red hair and heterochromatic eyes. Wait a second, was there just one? Did that man come here all alone? Seriously? But how?

The man took a step closer to Kuroko.

"Found you.."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this short.. thing..? Ahem.. Tell me what you think! See you soon guys! Themis out!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Not much to say, other than "thank you for reading, you awesome reader!" :)

Hopefully, my next update won't take long! Tell me what you think guys! Ok, I'll shut up, now..

**I do not own Kuroko No Basuke!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The wind was blowing making it even harder for him to climb the damned hill. He had expected his task to be hard, but hell, his knuckles were starting to ache from climbing for what it felt like hours.

However he knew that if he made it all the way to the top he would be a step closer to his objective. Suddenly, a wave of motivation flowed through his body. His movements getting faster, full of power and determination. He could see it, he was so close to the top!

At last after all his hard work, he finally reached his destination. He sighed as he took off his hood and wiped the sweat off his brow. Then he looked around as if searching for something. Ah. There it is! A small cottage only a few metres away from him, smoke coming out of its chimney. _There you are Shintaro._

When Akashi made his way to the small house, he immediately knocked the door thinking of his old friend, a feeling of nostalgia forming inside of his chest. Seconds passed by and finally the wooden door opened revealing a tall green haired man wearing a surprised expression on his face.

"Akashi..?"

"Hello Shintaro. It's been a while."

"That's right.." said Midorima, his eyes betraying the slight nostalgic feeling he had.

"So, are you going to invite me in, or what?"

"Ah.. Ah! Yes, come in.." said Midorima ,making way for Akashi.

The redhead entered the cottage and found himself in a cosy living room with a warm fire burning in a fireplace. _Not bad at all Shintaro._ Midorima gestured to Akashi to take a sit.

"So, Akashi. Care to tell me why you came all the way here?" said the greenhead as he sat across Akashi.

"What, can't I just visit an old friend? said Akashi smirking.

"Please, do us both a favor and cut to the chase."

"Ouch. No need to be so aggressive, now is there? Where are your glasses anyway?"

"Takao sat on them, now talk"

Akashi sighed. Well there was no point in concealing his reason for being there in the first place. Midorima was not one to be sweet talked anyway.

"Very well then. I'm claiming the old city of Teiko." He said with a deadpanned expression.

The word "surprised" would have been an understatement for what Midorima felt at that moment. A sweat drop slowly falling down his face, his eyes widened.

"You can't be serious."

"Never really was one to joke around, now was I Shintaro?"

"You do realize the city is concealed and guarded by ancient magic. No one has even seen the city for almost 400 years! We must have been the last ones to see it! You were there Akashi, when the city disappeared right I front of our eyes along with its people! We were all there!" Midorima was yelling without realizing it, he couldn't help but feel angry. His anger not directed specifically to Akashi, or anyone to be honest. The feeling of loss was just too great even after all these years. Not that he would ever admit it anyway.

"Calm down Shintaro." Akashi gave him a sympathetic look "You are right, we were the last ones to see the old city. We should be the ones to liberate it from whatever happened to it! Maybe we don't know what happened, but you know something of equal important, don't you? You know who did it. Back then, you had the best sources of information. All we have to do is find him or her and I will do so, with or without your help, but for the time being there's one thing I ask of you. Information."

Midorima was taken aback by Akashi's words as well as the look on his face. His sympathetic expression was completely replaced by pure passion. Just like a warrior about to attack his poor prey. His face excited and scary at the same time. How ironic. He had seen that look countless times on the battlefield before. As he thought, he would never get used to it.

"I know who did it, but I also don't." said Midorima

"Could you be a little bit more specific? I swear you become weirder every time I see you.."

"Let me speak!"

"Okay then.."

"Tsk. As I was saying."said the offended green haired male "Theoretically I do know who who did it, but I don't know his name or what he looks like. Also, I know where he is. No. Let me finish. It's not that simple. He is in a prison. A prison created by himself in order to redeem himself, apparently." Midorima stopped and stared at his hands before continuing "Anyway, it's not just a simple prison. It is surrounded by powerful magic spells. It can nullify anything within a range of at least 500 metres."

Midorima looked at Akashi "So, how do you intend to enter such a ridiculously guarded jail?"

"Do not underestimate me Shintaro. My abilities are far from what they used to be."

"Cocky as always, I see.."

"There's nothing wrong with being honest. Most importantly, do you know where this prison is?

"Y-yeah. I've located it with Takao's help" said the tall man while standing up and heading to a huge bookcase.

After searching for a few seconds he came back holding a bunch of old papers and a map.

"Here. According to my investigations the prison is located right here" he said, pointing to a certain point on the map. "It's actually pretty close to here. I guess reaching it is quite easy with a horse, however what worries me the most is the magic around it. Do you really trust yourself enough to step into such a deadly place?"

"I'm positive"

"Akashi, the magic we're talking about is extremely powerful and about 400 years old-.."

"I said I'll be fine Shintaro"

A short silence was what came next. _Well at least I warned him.._

"So, do you mind if I borrow these?" Akashi broke the silence.

"Take them. They'll come to handy, I'm sure."

Akashi stood up."Thank you Shintaro. Well then, I'll be going now-.."

"Oh, you're not going anywhere Akashi Seijuro!" a voice said.

Akashi turned around only to face a raven haired man with gleaming eyes, staring at him with a pout on his face.

"Kazunari. Long time no see."

"Seriously. After all these years you were about to leave without even saying 'hi' !"

"I just-.."

"Enough! You're staying here tonight! I'm sure you don't even have a place to stay, here in the middle of nowhere!"

"Actually-.."

"I don't care! You're staying!"

Midorima facepalmed as Takao tackled the shorter male.

* * *

Hm. So this was the notorious prison Midorima was talking about. He could clearly see it. A huge cave around 800 meteres away from him. _Okay then_.

Akashi started casting spells to himself, mostly defensive ones which took lots of his energy, but he had to be prepared. He could already feel power overflowing from the prison's direction. After murmuring the last spell, Akashi proceeded towards the cave with a weird excitement filling his chest and mind.

It was clear to him that Midorima had not exaggerated about the strength of the magic protecting the place. The more he approached the cave, the more pressure he started to feel. It was starting to take a toll on his body and he knew that if not for his equally strong magic, he would be laying dead.

When he finally made it inside the cave, softly panting, he found himself in a huge corridor with various doors to his right and left. He took a few steps forward and kicked the first door on his left, only to find an empty dark cell with chains on the wall. Okay then, next one.

**BAM** Nope, nothing in here

**BAM** Dammit!

**BAM** Was the guy even in this prison?

**BAM** He used all of his strength kicking the heavy door open.

All of his hard work was rewarded when he saw a young man with sky blue hair staring at him. Tied with chains and wearing an apathetic expression on his face.

"Found you.."

"What are you doing here" Kuroko asked in a hoarse voice._ I can still talk. Amazing._

"Giving your freedom of course." Akashi answered while approaching him and starting to get his chains off him.

"No! You don't understand! I have to remain in here! I can never go outside again!" he panicked.

"Just hush. It's alright" Akashi said, completely freeing him and catching him before hitting the ground.

"Are you stupid, or what.." was all Kuroko said before feeling his eyes flutter and losing his consciousness .

"Hah. Never been called that before.." Akashi smirked.

After Kuroko fainted Akashi finally felt like his powers were coming back, so the barrier was weak without its creator conscious. He then carried the young man on his back and carefully made his way outside of that dark and cold place.

Far away from him, a stranger wearing a dark cloak was watching him carry a motionless tiny body on his back. The stranger grinned and turned his back to the ignorant redhead. _So, it's finally started. He is free. I better go back then._

* * *

**Just to be clear, Akashi and Kuroko have never met before.. Ok, then! Let this baby fanfic be born! :D**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Ηelloooo! Ok, so here's a new chapter! Anyway thank you awesome readers for the favs and follows! Keep spreading your awesomness! Ahem.. I'll shut up now! Enjoy, you little eggrolls!

**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke! Duh!**

* * *

A dark skinned man was sitting alone at the bar of an old pub, finishing his drink. His face almost completely covered by a hood, giving him a scary aura. Drinking after finishing a job had become a habit over the years. At first it was to wash away all of his guilty thoughts, a way for him to forget everything his hands were capable of and how low he had stooped in order to survive.

However, time really does fly and before he knew it, he was already used to the art of murder. Assassinating various targets for money was something Aomine was unexpectedly good at, considering that he always preferred fighting with his fists, creating loud and most definitely not stealthy situations.

After all, his experiences on the battlefields were more than helpful for him when he tried to ignore the pleas of his targets right before he took their miserable lives. Disgusting weak beings that were stupid enough to piss off the wrong people. People that had ridiculous amounts of money and were ready to pay such a well-known assassin as Aomine, to get them out of their way.

Still. Being a solo killer was much different than being a soldier. Being a soldier was like a duty, acting on his own made the word "murder" sound more realistic and horrible. It showed that he was taking complete responsibility for his actions. Unfortunately, there was no nation, or general to blame. Just himself.

And so, drinking had gradually become nothing but a nasty old habit he could not get rid of. Not that he wanted to anyway..

A wave of cold air interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to reality. He looked at the pub's door and watched as a grey haired male entered the bar.

There was something wicked about him, but Aomine just couldn't get his hands on it. He was sure he had seen him before, but just couldn't remember where or when. He just watched as the familiar man approached a table with a black haired guy already sitting on it. Another familiar face. _What the heck._

Aomine decided to eavesdrop the two suspicious men's conversation. It was hard to get his attention but these guys had succeeded. _Congrats idiots_.

"Haizaki. Welcome back."

Such a familiar name..

"Makoto-saaan.. It's been a while.." the grey haired man replied in a sarcastic tone.

Makoto?

"I hope you didn't come here just to waist my time? Talk."

Haizaki's expression completely changed.

"He's free. He's coming back."

The black haired male, was caught by surprise.

"Are you sure? Someone actually freed him?"

"Not just anyone my lord. His rescuer was someone quite famous. I'm sure even you know him." Haizaki waved his hands in a threatical way. "Akashi Seijuro."

Aomine almost chocked with his drink. _Wait what?! Did I just hear the name Akashi?! He rescued a guy? Who? Why?_

After a long pause, the man named Makoto spoke with a disgusting smile on plastered on his face.

"This just serves to make things more interesting.. Let's go, we have work to do. Move." And with these words the two men made their way out of the bar leaving a dumbfounded Aomine behind.

_Should I look for Akashi? Is he in trouble? Is everyone okay? Suddenly Aomine stopped drinking._ Since when did he give a damn about others? There was practically nothing left in this world connecting them with the other four guys, so why had he ended up thinking about them? It has been almost 200 years since the last time he had seen them. No. What Akashi did with his life was none of his business.

"I'm just fine with the way things are." Aomine murmured to himself as he took another sip.

"Aominechi?!"

Oh no.

"Aominechi is that you?! Oh my-"

Please no.

"-God! It's been so long! Aominechi, it's me! Kise Ryota!"

Aomine slowly looked up from his drink just to face a blonde man with a huge smile on his face, already trying to hug him. Aomine wasn't really one to hug people, especially his old goofy and loud partner whose face he hadn't seen in almost two centuries.

"Kise shut up!"

"Eeeh! After not seeing each other for so long, that's how you greet me?!" Kise said in an offended tone with his arms crossed, turning his back to Aomine and approaching the exit.

"Grab a sit stupid." Kise immediately returned to Aomine's side grabbing a sit, his fake irritation already forgotten.

"Aominechiii! How have you been?! Wait, what are you even doing here in Too?"

"Don't act like you haven't heard of me around here you idiot. The real question is why you are here." Kise's smile remained as wide as ever.

"Aaah! I've been working for the kingdom of Kaijo lately! So I'm here to take care of some business… They are really nice!"

"Hm. Why not claim the the kingdom for yourself and rule it the way you want to?"

Something in Kise's eyes changed.

"And where's the fun in that? After all, I'm not really cut out to be a leader anyway.. I'm sure that's the case for you as well Aominechi.."

"What are you trying to say Kise."

"Nothing! It's just that I've been thinking about the old times lately.. Ah don't pay any attention to me.."

Aomine wanted to tell him he had been thinking the same thing, but the blonde goofball interrupted him.

"Let's drink!" Kise shouted as he ordered drinks, both for himself and the blue haired man.

All Aomine could do was sigh.. _He hasn't changed._

* * *

_Oh shit! He's drunk!_

Kise's eyes were hazy and his face was red. He looked so stupid giggling like a 5 year old and honestly, his breath was unbearable. _His face looks like Akashi's hair_. Giggle. _I wonder what Akashi looks like when he's drunk_. Another giggle. _Who is giggling?- Oh shit! I'm also drunk!_

"Aaaomhhhinhhechiii… We should findhh Akashichiiii and the othersss you knooow…?"

"Shut up.." Aomine tried his best to sound sober, miserably failing. He pushed Kise off him and stood up. "Let's go."

"But wheeere?!" Kise looked at him with innocent watery eyes. "Are you leaving againhhh?!"

"We" Aomine grabbed Kise's coat "are going to Akashi."

"Yaaaaay…"

* * *

Akashi looked exhausted but completely pleased with himself as he tasted the soup he had been trying to make for the last three hours. He would never admit it out loud but if there was one thing he sucked at, that would be cooking.

"Che.. "

Akashi took off his apron- another thing he would never admit of having- and made his way to the guest room so that he could check his sleeping prisoner-.. Guest..

As he entered the room he was disappointed to see the young man sleeping soundlessly. He had even prepared food for the other male in case he woke up, but the kid seemed like he wouldn't wake up anytime soon. It had already been two days ever since he had arrived back to his home, in the city of Rakuzan, carrying an unconscious teen-looking man. _Well, at least he's alive_.

That thought reminded him. The kid with the cerulean hair must have been special like him considering he has been alive for over 400 years. Maybe he should tie him to the bed, there was no saying what the young man would do after waking up. Akashi smirked at that. The tiny man was pretty attractive.. No. Akashi internally slapped himself. _This is not the time for that Seijuro_. Well, no matter how powerful that guy was, he should have been weakened by his staying at that awful prison, making it impossible for him to escape.

Akashi slowly closed the door as he made his way back to the living room. _Aaah… Bored.._ He walked to a bookshelf and chose an old novel. He had no choice but wait.

* * *

**Hohohoho.. Did someone say slow pace? Anyway, tomorrow I'm leaving for a school trip and won't be back till Friday, but my evil cousin insisted on posting this chapter.. Next chapter has more Akashi and Kuroko! I promise! *backflips off a cliff* Adios!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** Ok, this is a long one, so you are free to skip this! :) Hey guys, this is Katerina, Themis' cousin (that's the author of this story you dumbass! ok I'm sorry, I'm sorry I called you a dumbass! Please comeback!). Apparently she's sick, but she allowed me to update her story, therefore I typed the whole thing, sorry for any typos you may find! Aaanyyywaaaay.. Since I'm in control right now let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there were 10 cousins with Themis being the youngest. And she was a little shit. The End. Seriously, do not trust her polite ways, she's the devil. She always plays pranks on us, but i swear I'm gonna get her. Oookaaaay.. Pointless and completely useless time is oveeeer.. Enjoy!

**I do not own Kuroko No Basuke!**

* * *

Two hours. Four hours. Akashi sighed and closed the book he had been reading for the past hours. The little guy was sure taking his sweet time, making him more and more impatient. It was obvious that the blue haired male wouldn't wake up anytime soon, so Akashi decided to go to sleep. He was a light sleeper anyway, so even the slightest noise would wake him up. There was no way the kid would escape.

As he made his way to his bedroom he wondered how old the guy was. Well, he looked like a seventeen, eighteen year old teen at most, but he knew looks could be deceiving. He was an example of deceiving looks after all. He too had the face of a young adult but he was much older. He was pretty sure he was almost 769 years old.

Akashi yawned and stretched his arms. Truth be told, he was kind of tired, but he just couldn't let his guard down with such a dangerous man in his house. He had already casted some basic restricting spells around the house to prevent any attempts of escaping, but nothing too special since it would surely take a serious toll on his body, and he had to be sure he would be ready to fight anytime.

_Did this shrimp seriously exterminate my city alone? He looks so fragile and weak._ Akashi couldn't help but wonder again. How could such a frail body hold so much power? Maybe Midorima was wrong. Was there such a possibility? Akashi got off his shirt revealing his well toned chest. What if all this was a trap? What if he had the wrong person? He rolled on his back and put an arm over his eyes. There was no point in over thinking things. As his father used to say a long time ago, patience was a virtue.

* * *

Kuroko's mind was full of nightmares when he finally opened his eyes. It was still dark and he could barely see anything. _Where am I? Is this a bed? Okay, keep calm. You're obviously not in your prison. Oh no, have they found me?_

Kuroko sat up and slowly got off the warm bed. He noticed that the clothes he was wearing weren't his, they were certainly too big for him, but they smelled good and cosy.

As he stood up, he instantly felt dizzy and the urge to lay back again. His vision got a little blur, but after a few seconds he thought it would be fine to take a step or two.

_ Woah. How long has it been since I last walked?_

After he got used to standing up and walking he deemed it proper to make the bed he had been sleeping in. He hated messy rooms anyway, plus his immanent tidiness was something he could never fight.

He then proceeded to fix his atrocious bed hair, in front of a mirror he had located in the room. Some things just never change..

_It's too quiet. Are there other people in here?_ He noiselessly went to the kitchen where he found a pot full of soup. Well, it had been 400 years since the last time he had actually eaten anything, so even that cold and –honestly- not that good looking soup, looked fairly enticing to him. But he knew better than to eat something prepared by a stranger.

That's when it hit him. The redhaired guy! _Am I in his house?_ He quickly searched the rest of the house, not liking how nosy his actions were. Oh well, he couldn't help it. He would apologize later.

He was sure he could not be heard, being stealth was one of his specialties, so he slowly opened every door he could find. Finally he opened a door opposite to the one of the room he had woken up in. He carefully peeked inside. Luckily he found the said redhaired sleeping covered by a blanket. Kuroko silently exited the room, and made his way to the living room.

He sat on an armchair quietly laughing. That guy had entered his prison all alone, he surely wasn't just an ordinary one.

_Perhaps I should wait. He must be quite intriguing_.

* * *

ds

* * *

Akashi groaned as he opened his eyes, feeling slightly better and refreshed than last night. With slow moves he got out of the bed and went straight to the bathroom to take care of himself.

After making himself presentable –not that it required much of his efforts admittedly- he approached the guest room in order to check on the blue haired male.

When he opened the door, he froze. The bed was empty and –odd enough- carefully made up. How the hell didn't he hear the boy when he got up? The spells around the house were inact, so there was no way he had escaped, but still! He quickly turned his back to the vacant room and entered the living room looking around, trying to locate another presence.

There he was. Staring at him with his big baby-blue eyes, sitting on an armchair with his legs crossed.

"Hello." Kuroko said in a polite tone.

"Hello to you too." _You tiny miniature of a man._

There was a long pause between them with the only movement in the room being the blinking of their eyes as they stared at each other. Suddenly, Kuroko snapped his fingers and a golden coin appeared in his hand. He then left it on the small table in front of him with a blank face.

Akashi just kept staring at the young man and the money he had just left on the table. _What?_

"Please accept this." _His voice is soft huh? It sure matches his appearance.._

"Why?" Did the guy want to pay him because he had saved him from that dreadful prison, or the fact that he had accommodated him in his house?

"Mr.."

"Akashi Seijuro." He introduced himself.

Kuroko nodded.

"Akashi-kun. You have no shirt on, apparently you must be pretty poor. I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner. You gave me the only one you posses." Kuroko lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

You could say that surprising Akashi was something nearly impossible, but that kid was something else.

_Is he playing games with me?_

Akashi cleared his throat.

"I believe, you've misunderstood me…"

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

"..Tetsuya. I prefer sleeping without a shirt on, clearly for comfort reasons only. I can assure you I've got more than enough money."

"Ah. I see. Would you mind telling me why I'm here Akashi-kun?"

What was wrong with that man? He was so calm while practically being a prisoner of some random guy he had never seen before. _So, he doesn't feel threatened by me at all. Interesting._

"I think it's obvious that I saved you from that horrible place you were locked in."

"Before I ask why you saved me, Akashi-kun, don't you think I might have been in there for a reason?"

"Your reason was inane."

Kuroko abruptly got a slightly irritated expression.

"So, I assume you know my reason for being there?"

"Redemption?"

Kuroko quietly giggled."Redemption?"

Akashi was starting to get angry. Now he was making fun of him!

"My reason for being in a jail was not to redeem myself for my crimes. At least not entirely." Kuroko said with a small bitter smile.

"Crimes? I thought you had only commited one crime." Akashi's voice suddenly sounded hard, indirectly accusing Kuroko for his city's demise. Kuroko said nothing, but he stood up.

"I think I'll be going Akashi-kun. Thank you for your hospitalit-.."

A knife flying towards him interrupted him. Thankfully, his reflexes hadn't rusted, so he protected himself with a shield-like spell. Still, he felt shocked, even if he had successfully maintained his composure.

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere Tetsuya." Akashi's heterochromatic eyes were glinting. "I have a challenge for you."

* * *

**Okaaaaay.. So she wanted me to let you guys know that in her head Akashi is a little bit taller in this fic, while Kuroko has his original height. Anywaays.. Drop a review, will ya? It's not like it costs anything! :) Byye!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Hello kids! I'm back with an update! Sorry for the long wait to those who were waiting ***wink*** . I had this written for over a month, i just had to type it but -hell- school can be such a bitch! Do you understand what the word "exams" mean? It means "Sleepless nights and anxiety attacks, here I come!", so yeah.. Anyway my next update shall not take that long.. Happy reading!

**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke! **

* * *

The silence in the room was unbearable, but Kuroko was determined to not speak a word unless his –justifiably- weird host did. What was wrong with that guy? Suddenly attacking him like that while talking, he had some nerve! Undoubtedly the aggressive young man standing in front of him had an aura of authority surrounding him, he had the air of someone who was not to be taken lightly, but Kuroko –a man whose eyes had seen more than enough- was not intimidated. At least not as much as Akashi would like.

Akashi on the other hand, wasn't even blinking , waiting for Kuroko to ask for an explanation, or even attack him, but it was sure taking more time than he had expected.

After what seemed like history's longest pause and most competitive staring contest, Kuroko gave up with a sigh.

"You just attacked me Akashi-kun."

"I don't see any injuries." Was he trying not to smile? The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Having fun there?" Kuroko mumbled in an incoherent voice.

"Excuse me, did you say something?"

"No. So, care to give me some information about this challenge of yours?"

Akashi immediately gave Kuroko a smirk. "Sure." He then sat down on one of the armchairs gesturing Kuroko to do the same.

Akashi's expression changed into a serious one, contradicting his previous teasing voice and speech.

"I would like you to fight me Kuroko Tetsuya."

Kuroko's face was ostensibly blank, but anyone who knew him, would be able to tell Kuroko was feeling anxious at that moment. His eyes were full of guilt and for a moment, even Akashi who was merely a stranger to him was able to detect the uneasiness he was feeling.

"May I ask why?" his voice trembled a little, or maybe Akashi was imagining things?

"I'd like to see your power myself. After all you were the one who took my home away from me." Akashi leaned back and stared at the man sitting in front of him. "Maybe I'll get to repay you as well, who knows.."

"Your home?" The blue haired male's eyes looked distant, but soon came back to reality. The last time he had destroyed something that could be referred as home – something like, let's say a town or a village- was at least four hundred years ago. _Which means…_

Kuroko observed Akashi carefully without saying a word.

_…this guy is really old, just like me._

"Hm.. I guess looks can be deceiving Akashi-kun."

"You're not one to talk."

"I guess.. " _Is he a magician like me? Well he can cast spells, but nothing special. Surely his spells are not to be underestimated at all, it's just.. They're not that hard for a full fledged magician to cast. No, he can't be a magician, otherwise he wouldn't have attacked me with a knife earlier. What's his deal? How much does he know about me? About who I am..?_

"I'm sorry Akashi-kun, I'm going to have to refuse your proposal. I'm done with fighting. I promised myself to never harm another human being in my life again."

Akashi was silently waiting for the man to finish talking. How could he persuade him to fight? That's it! He should force him into a fight! Teasing him about his height, or maybe his hair color –no scratch that- their height difference wasn't enough for him to tease him (even though he was totally a lot taller that this teen looking guy- shut up!) and his hair color was just as fancy as Kuroko's baby blue locks. No, no, this was so uncharacteristic of him.. He would never act so childish! Tactics like these were meant for foolish people and he sure as hell wasn't a fool.

His original plan was to challenge the man into a fight , with the winner asking anything – within human reach of course- from the loser. He was sure for some reason, his request wouldn't be rejected. Maybe because he had partly expected the person who had taken so much from him to be utterly ruthless and thirsty for blood deep down. How wrong was he.. The guy seemed calm and hesitant to fight even though he was clearly a powerful being.

He wanted to see this person's powers so bad he hadn't considered any obstacles in his fight with him. He felt like this Kuroko Tetsuya owed him something. A fight, information, an explanation about his actions all those years ago, something. He was certainly taken aback by this guy's calmness and straight face, but there was just no way he wouldn't let him get away without getting what he wanted.

It was him the one who had destroyed the city of Teiko, he would surely be the one holding the knowledge to bring it back. Right? Was he being naive? Again, there was no point in over thinking things. He had to force him into this fight, no matter what.

"Don't you think you owe me something? You know, you aren't exactly the innocent one." _I hate what I'm about to say_ "Many people have lost their lives, or in my case their homes because of you. You see, no matter how many times I try, I can't seem to quite understand your motives or your reasons behind attacking innocent people." Akashi stood up and looked down on Kuroko whose eyes were slightly widened. "You brought misfortune upon people who didn't deserve it and that is something that can't be easily forgiven for." _Look at how hurt he looks_ "Even if you were from another city or country that would gain something out of destroying a city as wealthy as Teiko, attacking civilians is truly despicable. It makes you nothing but a murdered." How long had he wanted to say all these things? Surely, too long because his voice was unintentionally raised and his face was full of tension and anger.

He really didn't want to persuade Kuroko by using psychological violence, it wasn't like him. He was good with words but he would always try to avoid breaking people using them, but he was desperate at the time and he had partly lost control of his emotions.

The teal haired man was dumbfounded by the words intended for him. What was his friend Ogiwara always telling him back then? Aaah, yes. "Kuroko, you know, damage done by words cannot be easily fixed. Wounds like that are hard to heal." How true. He would rather have the redhead piercing his body with swords and spears instead of saying all those things, because he was certain it wouldn't hurt as much as hearing what he already knew. That he was a monster, born to steal other people's happiness.

_"..you're nothing but a.."_

_"..might find your own happiness.."_

"However I'm offering you a chance to make up for all you've done. Fight me and if you end up winning against me, I'll do anything you ask and leave you alone."

Kuroko closed his eyes, sad memories filling his mind like a waterfall . It was unbearable. He had to stay alone, he wasn't supposed to allow himself hurt others. His eyes met with mismatched orbs. _Maybe one last time?_

"So Akashi –kun, want to set the rules for our fight?"

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**Holy shit this chapter sounded so much better _and_ longer in my head! Oh well, I'm done.. Please forgive any typos or grammatical errors! See you soon awesome people! :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's note:** Is.. is that Themis? With an UPDATE? Whaaaaaaaa-? Yeeee, so I'm back. Aaah, life's good right now, I'm on vacation right now, so there's so much more time for me to write! Yay! Btw I've already started writing the next chapie, so I don't think it'll take that long to update.. I'm serious this time! Come on.. Ahem.. okies ignore any typos. Enjoy!

**I don't own Kuroko no Basket !**

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It always made him feel better, sitting on roofs. It always helped him clear his mind. Even if he had company up there. And by company what he meant was an amazingly annoying and very talkative blond man. As he was lying on the roof of the small inn he was staying, a hand covering his sensitive eyes, all he could do was keep listening to Kise's happy chirping, blabbering about all the possible locations Akashi might have been.

"Goddamn it" _Groan_ "Please remind me why I started drinking with someone like you?" Another groan."Come on Aominechi! I'm also suffering from a hangover, you know!"

"Yeah right" it was a well known fact that Kise has never felt the after effects of a night full of booze in his justifiably long life. Everyone used to think he was just faking being okay when they were young, but let's be honest who can even fake being alright after drinking amounts of beer that could knock out a whole legion? They just had to accept that Kise was an incredibly lucky bastard.

Well, that certainly wasn't the case about Aomine. A certain blue haired man was having a really intense headache at the time and he could only blame his stupidity. What was he? A stupid kid whose lips have never tasted alcohol before? And how could he spend an entire night drinking with Kise! Making the blond man happy was as easy as breathing and that's exactly what he did the night before. He had promised Kise they would go on a journey together to find their old friends, but his words were greatly affected by all the beers he had cosumed and he could only hope for Kise to not remember anything said that night, but the cheerful man seemed to remember every single detail concerning their conversation. Great. Now Aomine couldn't act as if nothing happened.

Even if he also craved for a mere meeting with his old –what felt like- family, his pride was just too overwhelming. Why should he be the first one to make a move towards fixing their broken relationships? The others were just as responsible as he was for being apart for so long.

After the destruction of their hometown things just weren't the same between them anymore. Of course there wasn't a fight or anything like that, but it was pretty obvious how everyone just seemed to have different plans for the future. So, everyone including Momoi, started taking different paths that sadly didn't include their beloved friends. And so, the years just went by in a flash, with zero efforts for a reunion. Aomine just wasn't the type of person to make the first move when it came to stuff like that! Well, Momoi always used to say he had the social skills of a grumpy old man and even if it frustrated him, there was no point in disagreeing.

"Aaah, Aominechi, it's kind of nostalgic, sitting like this.. Isnt it?" Kise tilted his head staring at the clear sky. "Remember when we were kids?" Aomine moved his hand so he could see Kise "Akashichi was the one who taught us how to climb on buildings, wasn't he? Aha, he too has always liked high places.."

"Hmn, that bastard would do anything to not be called a shorty. He may have never admitted it, but you know he was just trying to feel taller than us." They both burst into laughing. It was true!

Laughing like this reminded Aomine how things used to be. Those bastards weren't always that bad to be around.. But getting back together wasn't that easy. He had so many questions and so many regrets. How was their hometown destroyed? Who did this? And then came all the regrets. He should have been wiped out along with his city, his people. So how come Teiko's five most powerful soldiers were the only one's to survive? Why weren't they on time? Why the hell were they not there from the start? They could have stopped the culprits.

The memories were just too heartbreaking, the guilt too painful.

He could still remember that fateful day. The five of them were returning from a stupid urgent mission which turned out was just a false alarm. And then, when they were about to see their city from afar there was a lightning and the sky became dark in an instant. There was an awful feeling crawling from his stomach and the sudden rain was not helping at all. He immediately squeezed his horse to make it run faster, the others did the same. Ah, there was their city. All looked well to Aomine. Well, the weather was being a jerk, but Teiko was okay. He felt so relieved and he didn't even know why.

But that's when everything went to hell. His eyes widened as a blinding white light started covering Teiko and he just knew it was bad. Without thinking he started screaming, kicking his horse to run as fast as possible. He had to go there, save everyone, stop whatever was happening. However, while his anger and desperation were blinding him, the others were already realizing it was already over, and just kept staring at the huge beam of light, not being able to move a muscle, the numbness they were feeling , taking over. Only Akashi was sane enough to stop Aomine from getting any closer and just like that he was suddenly in front of him, with his horse blocking his way, yelling at him to stop being a fool and turn away.

Aomine opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't hear the words coming out from his mouth. He saw the white light coming towards them and next thing he knew, darkness was swallowing him.

When he woke up the rain had stopped, but the sky remained dark and frightening. He looked around him, everyone except from Akashi was unconscious. He had his back turned to Aomine, staring where Teiko was supposed to be, but instead there was nothing. Aomine slowly got up and without taking his eyes from the direction Teiko used to be, walked to Akashi with unsteady steps. He stood next to him and with slow movements looked at his face.

The sight he met was something, that even to that day he didn't think he could ever forget. Akashi's face was serious, but what mostly got his attention was the blood flowing from his eyes down his cheeks forming thin red lines. There was also some blood flowing from the edge of his mouth, but none of them seemed to matter to him. Even when Aomine started shaking him, he just kept staring with an expression so intimidating, that Aomine decided to let him be.

"…chi" hmm what wouldn't he give to turn back time and kill whoever did this. If he had been faster, if he had never gone to that stupid mission..

"Aominechi! Hey! Are you listening?" Kise was pouting, irritated to be ignored.

"Yeah, yeah, what's up?" Aomine yawned "Are we going to find the others, or what?"

Aomine sighed. Maybe finding them wasn't a bad idea. He could always blame Kise for dragging him with him, right?

"Yeah, we should go.. Where should we start?"he truly had no idea where everyone was. He had heard about Murasakibara staying in Yoosen, but other than that everyone else's whereabouts were a mystery to him, well aside fom Kise ofcourse..

"Yay! Okay, so last time I heard about Akashichi, he was in Rakuzan's kingdom. He practically owns the underworld there, black market and everything.." of course, a position befitting Akashi Seijuro "..maybe we should start looking from there!"

Aomine stood up stretching his arms "Okay, you've got money? 'Cause you'll be paying for everything we need.."

"Hey! That's so meaaan!"

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**Aaah, so that's what happened! I swear, next chap is gonna have Akashi and Kuroko babies, I sweaaaaar!…maybe… σ_σ**

**Anyways, thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites! You guys are awesome! Oh and before I forget, someone has asked before.. I don't know if there'll be any AoKise in this. I see them more like bros, you know? But never say never, okiiiies? And my cousin kept asking so, let's make this clear, Akashi was bleeding because of the magic he used to protect the rest of the GoM, ok? I'll probably explain in a future chap.. Holy shit that's a long note.. Ugh.. See ya ! :P**


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